WOOF-WHOA! After barking at cops from atop a bed -- and getting smacked out this window -- 7-pound Chuwie fell three stories, say owners Ronald and Giselle Estevez (above).Matthew McDermott

“Paranormal Activity 3” didn’t just go bump in the night. It made a ton of noise at the box office with a record-setting, $54 million opening.

The third film in Paramount Pictures’ low-budget fright franchise, which was No. 1 at the box office, had the biggest debut ever for a horror movie, according to studio estimates. It broke the previous record, set by Part 2 a year ago, with $40.7 million. It’s also the biggest opening ever for an October release, topping the $50.4 million Paramount’s “Jackass 3D” made last year.

“Paranormal Activity 3” is actually a prequel, with the discovery of disturbing 1988 home-movie footage.

Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com, said he was expecting “Paranormal Activity 3” to come in around $35 million for the weekend, simply because most newcomers have been underperforming this fall.

“This brand is as solid as the ‘Twilight’ brand or the ‘Jackass’ brand. There are certain brands that just transcend any kind of box-office rhyme or reason,” Dergarabedian said.

“They look like they’re shot with a home video recorder, and people just relate to it.”